City Libraries, City of Gold Coast

If Nietzsche were a narwhal, what animal intelligence reveals about human stupidity, Justin Gregg

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

If Nietzsche were a narwhal

bibliography

Justin Gregg

what animal intelligence reveals about human stupidity

What if human intelligence is actually more of a liability than a gift? After all, the animal kingdom, in all its diversity, gets by just fine without it. At first glance, human history is full of remarkable feats of intelligence, yet human exceptionalism can be a double-edged sword. With our unique cognitive prowess comes severe consequences, including existential angst, violence, discrimination, and the creation of a world teetering towards climate catastrophe. What if human exceptionalism is more of a curse than a blessing? As Justin Gregg puts it, there's an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn't more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don't need it to be successful. And, miraculously, their success arrives without the added baggage of destroying themselves and the planet in the process. In seven mind-bending and hilarious chapters, Gregg highlights features seemingly unique to humans - our use of language, our rationality, our moral systems, our so-called sophisticated consciousness - and compares them to our animal brethren. What emerges is both demystifying and remarkable, and will change how you look at animals, humans, and the meaning of life itself

The why specialists: a story of hats, bets, and chicken butts -- To be honest: the power and pitfalls of lying -- Death wisdom: the downside of knowing the future -- The gay albatross around our necks: the problem with human morality -- The mystery of the happy bee: it's time to talk about the "c" word -- Prognostic myopia: our shortsighted farsightedness -- Human exceptionalism: are we winning? -- Epilogue: why save a slug?